Insect-escape for screens



J, P. RHLY.

INSECT ESCAPE FUR SCREENS.

APPLICATWN HLED .\PR.24 1920. I

PatentedSep't. 28,1920.

' i a [mM/uar Jo/m Rely UNITED STATE-IS;

JOHN P. REILY, OF ST. LOUIS,"MISSO'URI.

INSECT-ESCAPE FOR SCREENS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, 1920.

7 Application .filed April 24, 1920. Serial No. 376,191.

and useful Improvement in Insect-Escapes for Screens, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

QMy invention relates generally to fly and insect screens for doors and windows, and more particularly to a device adapted to be applied toa screen'and which will permit the escapeof the flies or insects outwardly through the screen, the principal object of my invention being to provide a relatively simple and effective device that is capable of being'easily and 'che'aplyproduced and likewise capable of being readily applied to a window or door screen without the use of special tools or the services of a mechanic and said device being very effective in performing its intended functions.

My invention is based on the knowledge gained from observing that household insects, and particularly flies, are generally attracted by light such as is afforded by a window, andwhen the insects fly toward the light and a screen is encountered, the insects generally crawl upwardly on the inner face of the screen, and, further, if there is a hole or aperture in the upper portion of the screen, the insects will invariably pass outwardly through said hole or aperture.

I propose to take advantage of the natural inclination of insects to move upwardly on the inner surface of a screen and provide escape devices in the form of small metal cones and arrange the same on the upper portion of a door or window screen, said devices having portions projecting outwardly through the screen, and there being openings in said projecting portions which will permit the insect to escape to the exterior of the screen after crawling into and through the small conical members.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevational view of the upper portion of a window or door screen and showing escape devices of my improved construction applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a view of the blank or section of sheet metal from which the escape devices are formed. V

Fig. 3 is a'perspective view of one of the escape devices ready to be applied for use.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section showing my improved insect escape applied to a screen.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, A designates the frame of a door or window screen and upon which is positioned in the usual manner, a section B of relatively fine reticulated material, such as wire screen. i

The escape device'contemplated by my invention is formed from a single piece of thin material, such as sheet metal, the body portion 10 of which is substantially triangular when in blank form and this'body is bent to form a hollow cone, as illustrated in Fig. 3, the same being open at its base and pointed at its apex. Formed integral with the edge of the body 10 at its base is a series of outwardly projecting fingers 11, the outer ends of which are pointed as designated by 12, and when the body 10 is given its conical shape, the inner portions of these fingers are bent outwardly into a plane substantially at right angles to the apex of the conical body of the device and the terminal portions of said fingers are bent upwardly into planes substantially parallel with the axis of the conical body.

Formed in the body 10, and preferably at points a short distance above the base of the cone are apertures such as 13, which serve as escape openings for the insects after they have entered the open base of the core.

The device thus constructed is applied to the screen by placing the apex of the cone against the inner face of the screen and applying sufiicient outward pressure to the base of the conical body to force said. body entirely through the screen, which action can be readily accomplished inasmuch as the wires immediately adjacent to the point where the device is forced through the screen will give or move radially outward for a short distance.

The laterally projecting inner portions of the fingers 11 serve as stops to limit the outward movement of the device through the screen and after said device has been pressed vices can be located at points on the screen below the top rail. v Flies or other lnsects crawlmg upwardly on the screen Wlll, upon encountering the open inner end of the escape, crawl thereinto and will find exit through one of the openings 13.

The escape devices contemplated by my invention arecomparatively simple, can be easily and cheaply produced, can be applied to the screen without special tools and without the services of a mechanic, and are veryv eifectlve in performing the intended func tions. I v 1 It will 'be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the Various parts of my improved escape device can be made and substituted for those hereinshown and described, without departing fromthe spirit of my invention,

the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An insect escape for screens comprising a hollow cone open at its base and pointed at its apex whereby it may be forced through the screen, the wall of said cone being provided with an escape aperture, and means carried'by the base of the cone for attaching it to a screen. v

2. An insect escape for screens comprising a hollow 'cone pointed at its apex whereby it may be forced through the screen, said pointed, hollow cone being provided in its wall With a plurality of escape apertures,

and prongson the base of said cone, Whereby 1t may be attached'to a screen. 7

3. A a new article of manufacture, a fly escape for screens comprising a hollow cone formed from a single piece of sheet metal open at its base and pointed at. its apex whereby it may beforced through a screen, and fingers projecting laterally from the base of the cone, whereby it may'beattached to a screen.

In testimony whereof'I hereunto affix my 7 signature this 21st day of April, 1920.

j JOHN P. REILY. 

